Keywords Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Design, Literature study
Abstract Argues stability is a design objective for supply chain design alongside cost, lead
time and responsiveness. Performs an extensive literature study on supply chain design,
identifies methods, theories and objectives in the existing literature. Describes the concept
external specificity and how it’s used to design supply chains. Using the concept upstream,
archetypes of risk minimal and maximal design are identified. Downstream the concept
describes two viable scenarios, one minimizing the impact, the other minimizing the
probability of (intended) departure of a supply chain partner. Finally, principles for supply
chain design are described and managerial outlined.